Can-opener.



Nu. 692,9:8. Pate nted Feb. 11, I902. c. SANDS.

CAN OPENER.

(Application filed Jul 12, 1901.

(No Model.)

nnnnnnn |s warms co. mom-uwa, WASNINGTON, n. c.

Fries.

CHARLES SANDS, PALATKA, FLORIDA.

CAN-OPENER SPEGIFIGATEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,918, dated February 11, 1902.

Application filed July 12,1901. Serial No. 68,105. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES SANDS, acitivzen of the United States, residing at Palatka,

. has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device of this classconsisting, essentially, of a single blank of wire or rod, whereby worn or damaged parts may be replaced at a small cost and whereby the necessity for repair may be reduced to the minimum.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters represent corresponding parts in all the figures thereof, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a can-opener constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being shown applied in the operative position to a can. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same, showing the cutting element in elevation 0n the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken in the plane of and through one of the clamps on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view of the cutting element with the adjacent portions of the shank. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View of a slightly-modified form of clamp.

The tool embodying the invention consists, essentially, of a shank 10, constructed of a single blank of wire folded upon itself to form a loop, of which the forward ends are brought together and are engaged by a clamp 11, consisting in the construction illustrated of upper and lower members 12 and 13, connected by a set-screw 14, which extends revolubly through one of the members and is threaded into the other. In practice it is preferred to construct these clamping members as disks having polygonal peripheries forming wrenchseats, and one of the disks is preferably pro vided in its inner surface with grooves or channels 15, in which are snugly seated the engaged portions of the sides of the loop forming the shank. From these clamped extremi ties of the blank the sides of the loop extend rearward parallel with each other to an intermediate point of the length of the shank,

where they are engaged by another clamp 11,

of which the construction is the same as that above described.

On the parallel spaced portions of the side arms of the shank between the above-described clamps is mounted a cutting member consisting of a head 16, having a bevel-edged cutting-disk 17 pivoted therein, and a thumbnut' 18, threaded upon a pin 19, projecting upward from the head 16, said thumb-nut, stem, and the adjacent portion of the head forming a clamp for securing the cutting memberinitsadjusted positions. Preferably the upper portion or face of the head is grooved to form seats 20 for the'reception of the sides of the shank, whereby the cutting member is firmly locked in position when the thumb-nut is screwed into place in contact therewith. The cutting member is free to be adjusted upon the parallel portions of the side arms between the terminal and intermediate clamps, which serve as stops to limit this adjustment and prevent displacement. Beyond the intermediate or inner clamp the sides of the shank are preferably disposed divergently to form a suitable enlarged grip. Beyond the terminal clamp one of the sides of the loop forming the shank is extended and curved downward and forward to form a center point or prong 21, having a sharpened terminal adapted to puncture a can-top at or near its center, an intermediate portion of said prong being disposed approximately perpendicular to the plane of the shank to form a center about which the tool may be rotated in the act of cutting the can-top.

From the above description it will be seen that the tool embodying the invention is simple, in that it consists, essentially, of a shank or body portion constructed of a loop of Wire or rod, integral with which is formed the puncturing-point, the only additional features of construction being the simple form of clamps which are employed at intervals to hold the sides of the loop in a fixed position and at the same time constitute stops and a cutting member mounted for adjustment upon the shank between said stops and adapted to be varied in position to suit the diameter of the can upon which the device is to be used.

The modified form of clamp 11 (shown in Fig. 5) has both of its disk members provided with grooves or seats for the sides of the wire loop. The clamp members are indicated by the numerals 12 and 13, the former having thesmooth openings for the reception of the screw 14. The grooves or seats for thelooped sides are indicated at 15.

Having described the invention, what is claimed isl. A can-opener comprising a shank con structed of a loop of wire or rod of which one extremity is projected laterally to form a center point, clamps for securing the sides of the loop in operative relation, and a cutting member carried by the shank.

2. A can-opener comprising a shank consisting of a looped wire or rod of which one side is extended to form a center point, clamps engaging the sides of the loop at intervals to hold them in operative relation, and a cutting member adjustably mounted upon the shank between said clamps and provided with means for securing it in its adjusted positions.

3 A can-opener comprising a shank consisting of a looped wire or rod of which one extremity is extended to form a center point, spaced clamps engaging and securing the sides of the loop formed by the shank, and a cutting member having a head provided with seats for the reception of the sides of the loop, a threaded stem, and a thumb-nut threaded upon the stem to engage the sides of the loop.

4. A can-opener comprising a shank con sisting of a looped wire or rod having its sides being extended to provide apuncturing center point.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SANDS.

Witnesses:

CHAS. BURT, WALTER M. DAVIS. 

